Project on Social Cohesion in the Russian Federation

1
Project on Social Cohesion in the Russian
Federation

• Sponsored by the Carnegie Corporation of New York
• Kate Schecter and Judyth Twigg

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Phase I The Russia Initiative

• Began in 1998 Methodology and Outcomes
• Multi-disciplinary working groups
• A focus on non-traditional areas
• Policy Papers for the incoming administration (in
  2000)
• Produced a book of 4 policy papers and a film for
  public television

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Phase II

• Began in the fall of 2000
• Social Cohesion Seminars
• Washington, DC, September 17, 2002
• Moscow, Russia, September 27, 2002
• Social Capital and Social Cohesion in Post-Soviet
  Russia (M.E. Sharpe, forthcoming in spring, 2003)
• Future plans Writing a journal article and
  publishing the book in Russia

4
Research Agenda

• Collaborative effort by Western and Russian
  authors to analyze social dynamics in post-Soviet
  Russia.
• Applies Western concept of social cohesion and
  social capital to the Russian case during the
  last ten years.
• Central question Given the situation in Russia
  what will create social cohesion?

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The Soviet legacy in transitional Russia

• Economic factors (legacies of the command
  economy)
• Democratic factors (lack of individual
  initiative, lack of experience with markets and
  democratic freedoms)
• Social factors (loss of common Soviet identity,
  loss of national power, deterioration of the
  social fabric)

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Forces eroding social capital in Russia during
the last decade

• Inability to address social crises-AIDS epidemic,
  TB, drug abuse, alcoholism, neglected children
  and widespread corruption
• Increasing gap between rich and poor
• Demographic trends, deterioration of education,
  and single parent households
• Chechnya and ethnic tensions
• Migration

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Life expectancy at birth, Russia, 1988-2000
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The Demographic Scissors in Russia, 1985-2000
.
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Common themes emerged among authors

• General agreement that in addition to individuals
  and NGOs, state policy can act as provider or
  detractor of social cohesion
• Soviet legacy still acts as a deterrent in
  creating social cohesion in Russia
• It is essential that Russias social conditions
  be addressed by government policies

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How social cohesion is being created in Russia

• Local and individual efforts
• Emerging middle class taking responsibility for
  social issues in their communities
• NGOs and foreign assistance

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Russian Society and Health Seminars

• Two seminars (one in Washington and one in
  Moscow) that addressed current health and social
  policy issues in Russia and provided an
  opportunity for Russian and American policy and
  scholarly communities to discuss critical issues.
  

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Conclusion

• Observations from the two seminars
• Western versus Russian perspectives
• Scenarios for the future